Regulators: Colorado refinery continues to violate pollution laws

OIL & GAS: The U.S. EPA and Colorado regulators accuse a Denver-area petroleum refinery of continuing to violate clean air laws by releasing benzene and other pollutants into the air and water. (Colorado Sun)

ALSO:

• ConocoPhillips sues the U.S. Interior Department over new oil and gas drilling restrictions in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, alleging they go against Congress’ intentions for the area. (Anchorage Daily News)
• Texas considers suing the Biden administration in an effort to revoke endangered species protections for a Permian Basin lizard threatened by oil and gas development. (Carlsbad Current-Argus)
• California regulators admit to issuing oil and gas drilling permits just before and after a state law prohibiting those wells went into effect last month. (E&E News, subscription)

EMISSIONS: Researchers launch a comprehensive investigation aimed at detecting and monitoring large greenhouse gas emissions sources in northeastern Colorado’s oil and gas fields. (Colorado Sun)

UTILITIES:

• Arizona’s largest utility predicts a growing number of data centers on its grid will push peak electricity demand to record highs this summer even though residential power use has decreased. (12 News)
• State regulators approve Southern California Edison’s proposal to purchase 525 MW of solar and 320 MW of geothermal power. (PV Magazine)
• Arizona advocates say the outcome of a race for three open utility regulatory commission seats could help shape the state’s energy future. (Arizona Republic)

SOLAR:

• Arizona researchers and farmers find shading crops with solar panels can reduce their water demand and increase yields. (Cronkite News)
• The Biden administration awards six southwest Colorado businesses nearly $1.2 million to install rooftop solar arrays. (Durango Herald)
• Advocates push back against a solar installation proposed for federal land in Nevada, claiming it would encroach on imperiled greater sage grouse habitat. (E&E News, subscription)

BATTERIES:

• The Biden administration offers a $1.2 billion loan to an Oregon electric vehicle battery component manufacturer to help build a production facility in Indiana. (Canary Media)
• Some southern California residents push back on a proposed grid-scale battery energy storage system, saying it harms aesthetics and poses a fire risk. (KABC)

MICROGRID: A western Colorado county begins construction on a battery-powered microgrid designed to enhance resilience to wildfires and outages. (Aspen Public Radio)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Oregon launches an effort to use federal funds to expand its electric vehicle charging network. (OPB)

ELECTRIFICATION: A Washington state initiative seeking to block natural gas hookup and appliance bans and restrictions garners 500,000 signatures, likely qualifying it for November’s ballot. (Tri-City Herald)

COMMENTARY: A California editorial board celebrates the oil and gas industry’s withdrawal of a ballot measure aimed at overturning drilling restrictions, and urges state regulators strictly enforce the rules. (Los Angeles Times)